


The Properties of Saving and Being Saved

by slashedsilver



Category: Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-08
Updated: 2011-04-08
Packaged: 2017-10-18 00:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashedsilver/pseuds/slashedsilver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because that's what buddies do -- they protect one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Properties of Saving and Being Saved

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [drabble365days](http://community.livejournal.com/drabble365days), for the prompt _something there_.

Sun Joon doesn't notice anything at first. Yong Ha behaves the same way he does towards Jae Shin as he does towards Sun Joon himself -- flirtatious, touchy, handsy. After he spends the initial few months watching Yong Ha carefully (because no one can ever accuse Sun Joon of being anything less than meticulous, particularly when it comes to the people he would be associating with on a regular basis), Sun Joon chalks it down to Yong Ha's personality -- carefree, flamboyant, and prone to wide gestures.

(As Sun Joon gets to know Yong Ha a little bit more over the months, he begins to realise that much of it is just a front, but he is comfortable enough to let Yong Ha find his own footing in the Jalgeum Quartet.)

Early on, Sun Joon and Yong Ha establish one thing in common -- if there is ever a need for the four of them to enter a dangerous situation, Sun Joon and Yong Ha would be the ones to go. Yoon Shik (though they would never say this to her face) is too tiny to stand a chance in a physical battle, and too slow to talk her way out of one; and Jae Shin, though quick with his fists, has a fiery temper that lands him easily in trouble. In fact, Yong Ha is the one saving Jae Shin so often (stopping him from entering a fight, bandaging up his wounds, talking him out of a tight fix) that it doesn't strike Sun Joon that Yong Ha could possibly ever need saving instead.

Until Yong Ha shows up, half an hour late for their quartet's appointed meeting, with a split lip and the beginnings of a bruise blossoming over his right eye. For some reason, he's wearing a different set of robes than what he wore in the morning.

Absorbed in an argument with Yoon Shik about what Confucius _really_ meant in chapter fourteen of the Analects, Sun Joon doesn't notice Yong Ha's arrival until Jae Shin gets up abruptly and rounds in on Yong Ha.

"What happened?" Jae Shin demands, roughly reaching over to examine Yong Ha's face. "Where did you get that from?"

Yong Ha colours, and awkwardly tries to change the subject with his usual exuberance. "Sorry I'm late! Where are we heading to today?"

Jae Shin shoots an irritated look over his shoulder at Sun Joon and Yoon Shik, and grabs Yong Ha's wrist to pull him away from the two.

Sun Joon is momentarily bewildered -- since when have there been things that could not be discussed in front of all four of them?

"Don't worry," Yoon Shik says reassuringly. "I'm sure Senior knows what he's doing."

"I certainly hope so," Sun Joon says, unable to prevent himself from glancing over at where Jae Shin and Yong Ha appear deep in conversation -- if Jae Shin grabbing Yong Ha by the collar of his robes can be considered a conversation.

"He can be a little bit slow about his feelings, so the best thing we can do now is to give them some space," Yoon Shik comments -- and now the conversation is bordering on cryptic.

Sun Joon starts to wonder if he really wants to know.

~*~

"Who did that to you?" Jae Shin fists his hand in Yong Ha's robes, careful not to hurt him further, but he _needs_ to know. "Was it Ha In Soo?"

Yong Ha tries to laugh it off, and Jae Shin watches him, anger building. "Come on, it's not like it's the first time I've been at the receiving end of a blow. Not much I can do about it. Fists like cotton, remember?" He holds up loose fingers to Jae Shin, aiming for the joke.

Jae Shin doesn't take the bait, zeroing in on what he doesn't say. "I don't like the way he treats you," Jae Shin says, and wow, is that his voice? It's gone tight and funny, and Yong Ha must have noticed because his expression softens.

"It's just the regular power play," Yong Ha says quietly. "He pushes and I push back, subtly. Just that I wasn't so subtle this time. And it made him madder than it usually would have." He clears his throat. "I miscalculated slightly, that's all."

Jae Shin chokes at the response. Miscalculated? What kind of twisted relationship -- "What are you even doing with him? Isn't it enough to have the three of us?" _Why do you keep going back to him?_ is what he doesn't ask.

Yong Ha regards him with a small smile. "You and I both know that of the four of us, I stand the best chance of playing the field. Yoon Shik is hopeless at politics, and Sun Joon's ideals sometimes get in the way of reality -- "

 _And me?_ Jae Shin wants to ask.

" -- and someone needs to make sure that we have connections with people in the right places. Much as we might hate to admit it, Ha In Soo is going to be one of those people."

Yong Ha's logic infuriates him sometimes. "I don't like the idea of you being alone with him," Jae Shin declares stubbornly.

"So you want to tail along every time I meet him?" Yong Ha blows out a breath. "Be reasonable, Geol Oh. That will mean I will have to stop you from punching his face in every other minute or so." Yong Ha straightens his robes and cracks a wry smile. "That's hardly the way to build relations, you know."

"Well, if you're going to be saving us like that, you're going to need someone to save you too." Jae Shin's tone has turned mullish. "I insist on being there."

"To defend my honour?" Yong Ha arches an eyebrow at him.

Jae Shin lifts his chin in defiance, and does not answer.

"You know, I've never seen you like this before, Geol Oh," Yong Ha says, perking up with sudden interest, like a dog that has found a particularly juicy bone. "Could it be...?"

Jae Shin shoves Yong Ha away before he gets too close. "Annoying," he mutters.

"And you were doing so _well_ , Geol Oh," Yong Ha mourns. "It's all right. I'll take what I can get."

"Ha In Soo," Jae Shin repeats insistently.

"Him, too, if that's what you want." Yong Ha flashes Jae Shin a particularly bright smile.

Jae Shin reflects remorsefully that talking to Yong Ha is like pulling teeth. Especially when one is trying to get him to agree to something he doesn't want to do.

"Look, I am more than capable of defending myself," Yong Ha says.

Jae Shin looks pointedly at Yong Ha's bruises.

"The bruises were an accident. They never even should have happened. But you know how I feel when he talks about you -- " There is a slight hitch in his voice. " -- and Daemul and Garang -- carelessly, as though your lives don't matter. It's the only time I tend to lose control. Which is much better than what I can say for you."

"I don't like -- " And there he goes again. Jae Shin forces himself to choose a different tactic. "Ha In Soo is dangerous. Even though he helped us at the end there with Cho Sun, I still wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."

"And that is precisely why I need to be there," Yong Ha says.

Inwardly, Jae Shin curses Yong Ha and his quick thinking, and is trying to think of another way to approach this when Yong Ha's tone takes a serious turn.

"Geol Oh. Jae Shin. Look -- " Yong Ha looks vaguely uncomfortable. "All right, there's just no other way to say this. You know I've been a coward all my life." Yong Ha makes a self-deprecating smile.

Jae Shin hates to see it. "That isn't true -- "

"You know how afraid I am to fail. Now I've finally found something I'm good at. Let me do it for y -- let me do it for the three of you."

Words surge to Jae Shin's tongue -- Yong Ha is not a coward, he's the bravest man he knows. Putting himself in constant danger (and Jae Shin views Ha In Soo as constant danger) is not the only way to secure connections and good relations. But the thoughts trip over one another and Jae Shin is left staring helplessly at Yong Ha.

Yong Ha's mouth quirks up slightly. Jae Shin can recognise when Yong Ha thinks he has won.

It doesn't matter. He will just have to follow Yong Ha, even when he thinks he's alone.

Coming to a conclusion makes him happy, even if it leaves Yong Ha looking somewhat disconcerted at his sudden change in mood. Now cheerful, Jae Shin turns his back to Yong Ha. "Let's go then, they're waiting for us." He heads back to where Sun Joon appears to be having an aneurysm from worry. Jae Shin congratulates himself. He definitely has the best plans.

Behind him, Yong Ha smiles wistfully. He can be much too stealthy for that.


End file.
